Flip an object
You can easily flip objects in Microsoft Expression Blend. Flipping an object can be useful for various reasons, such as to create a mirror image of an object. For example, you could start by creating a fully defined object, specifying the object's size, shape, fill, stroke, and more. You could then duplicate the object, and flip the duplicate to create a mirror image of the original object. You can flip an object by setting properties under the Transform section of the Properties panel, or by using the commands under Flip on the Object menu.
Note
When you flip an object, the object flips around its center point. You can change an object's center point by dragging the center point on the artboard, or by setting a specific center point under Transform in the Properties panel. For more information, see Change the center point of an object.
To flip an object by setting properties
Select the object that you want to flip, by using either the Selection tool
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or the Direct Selection tool .png "Cc294942.6dd6571f-c116-451d-8dd2-1f88b8406362(en-us,Expression.30).png")
. To select more than one object, hold the CTRL key.In the Properties panel, under Transform, click the Flip tab
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, and then select one of the following options:Click Flip X axis, to flip the object horizontally.
Click Flip Y axis, to flip the object vertically.
For three-dimensional objects only, click Flip Z axis, to flip the object (either in the foreground or background).
To flip an object by using menu commands
Select the object that you want to flip, by using either the Selection tool
or the Direct Selection tool . To select more than one object, hold the CTRL key.On the Object menu, point to Flip, and then click either Horizontal or Vertical.
To flip an object by using resizing handles on the artboard
Select the object that you want to flip, by using the Selection tool
. To select more than one object, hold the CTRL key.Move your mouse pointer over one of the corner handles of the object's bounding box until the pointer becomes a resizing handle (
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, .png "Cc294942.b1472e4f-1959-485d-901f-df5583a77bcb(en-us,Expression.30).png")
, .png "Cc294942.7d350cd4-6d4f-40bc-9d04-d46d2d54ebee(en-us,Expression.30).png")
, or .png "Cc294942.ec88bf27-dad4-4869-9146-0c9647c29cdc(en-us,Expression.30).png")
).Drag the pointer past the opposite side or corner. Hold down the SHIFT key to constrain the proportions of the object as you resize it. Hold down the ALT key to maintain the center point.
Note
These procedures do not apply a transform to the object. Flipping an object converts the scale of the object to the negative of the original scale. For example, if your original scale value for X is 1, the scale value for X will change to -1 after you click the Flip X axis button.